1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to vote against H.R. 8250, the Parents Decide Act, and to be clear: my continued support for you depends on it. My primary concern is the serious privacy risk this bill imposes on every American. H.R. 8250 would require operating system providers to collect and verify the date of birth of all users — not just minors — before allowing them to use their own devices. This means adults who have committed no wrongdoing would be forced to hand over personal identifying information simply to use a smartphone or computer. The bill delegates to the FTC the task of designing an age verification system, but no such system can be made truly secure. We have seen repeatedly that large databases of personal information become targets for hackers and bad actors. Mandating that Apple, Google, and Microsoft build and maintain centralized records of every user’s age creates a honeypot of sensitive data that will inevitably be breached. Furthermore, this requirement places an undue burden on low-income individuals, the elderly, and others who may lack easy access to the documentation needed to verify their identity. A bill that restricts basic access to technology for vulnerable populations in the name of child safety casts too wide a net. I support protecting children online — but effective solutions do not require surveilling every adult in America. I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 8250. Thank you for your service and for listening to your constituents.